Toyota Prius Hybrid Sales Will Likely Peak At 35,000 Units In 2023

With the EV revolution still in its early days in the US, hybrids still have a place in the automotive world, and the Toyota Prius has to be the most infamous of them all.

The butt of many jokes, this efficient little hybrid has been around since 1997, and the new car looks better than ever, thanks to a complete exterior overhaul. Despite this, Toyota still expects it to be a sales flop. The new Prius is more efficient and offers excellent value for money.

Still, Toyota expects to sell only 35,000 units of its premier hybrid car, down from a high of over 230,000 in 2012 and 2013.

In a recent conversation with Road And Track, Toyota's US Vice President of Marketing, Lisa Materazzo, said that the target is 35,000 units for the new model year, which is about a thousand more cars than the 33,968 units sold during the 2021 model year.

Toyota is pegging its hopes for a resurgence in sales on the fact that gas prices and inflation remain stubbornly high, as well as the fact that a looming recession will drive customers to more affordable cars. Still, continued supply chain woes could stand in the way of Toyota even producing 35,000 vehicles.

"We don't have a crystal ball, so it's hard to say what supply chain interruptions we could have in the short term. We've been dealing with that for a while, and we'll continue to manage through that. I do think it's reasonable that there could be upside potential, but ultimately the market will decide that," said Materazzo.

Reported dealer markups show heightened interest in the sleek new Prius, but Toyota admits that the days of six-figure sales are well and truly over. It's not all bad news; Toyota has supplemented the Prius with a range of new hybrids and EVs that significantly bulk up sales.

"I do think it's important to keep in mind that we have more hybrids and more electrified vehicles across our lineup. So there are simply more options for buyers than there were back in 2011 associated with that sales plan," Materazzo said.

Today, customers can pick from cars such as the all-electric BZ4x, a hybrid Tundra, and the RAV4 Hybrid. With such a wide range of options from Toyota alone, it's no wonder the Prius, once a standalone hybrid model, now faces declining sales.